Somerville Man Starts GoFundMe for Release of Alleged Donald Trump Racial Slur Footage

SOMERVILLE, MA – After a 2005 video surfaced last week of a then-59-year-old Donald Trump degrading and objectifying women in what some have interpreted as advocating for sexual assault, it was thought it couldn't get much worse for the Republican presidential nominee.

Now, a former producer on Trump's reality show, "The Apprentice," which aired on NBC from 2004 until this year, is claiming there is worse audio than the GOP nominee's so-called "locker room talk" — including a recording of him allegedly using the N-word. But those close to the show have said the recordings are guarded by a slew of contracts and fines, including a likely $5.1 million legal penalty.

In order to facilitate the release of the alleged tapes, Somerville activist Aaron Holman and his friends set up a GoFundMe to raise the $5.1 million in support of the potential whistleblower. The Trump Sunlight Campaign, as the group calls itself, believes "video footage of Donald Trump exists which proves that the person we have all come to know over the past year is not the person that he truly is — footage that reinforces what we have all just recently begun to see more clearly," Holman wrote.

And while this presidential election has been marred by both sides diving into their opponent's closet to find the deepest skeletons, some believe Holman's GoFundMe goes too far.

"This is the sneakiest dirtiest idea I have heard of to ruin a man. I would not give one cent in an effort to uncover the chinks in someones Armour [sic]," one user wrote. "His opposition does not need for a whistle-blower the flaws are all there to see in 30 years of bad service to the country and failed policies. He never said he was a saint. Grow up."

Another suggested there were more meaningful causes to donate to: "You sad people they're real people out there that need this money and you choose spend it on this."

But some are more concerned about the legitimacy of Holman's campaign — after all, $5.1 million is a lot of money, and legal repercussions are not a done deal. What happens to the money if there is no lawsuit? How do we know the Trump Sunlight Campaign isn't just going to pocket the money?

"1 question - if there is no leak, and consequently, no lawsuit, please tell us where the raised money will go. And who is running this account? Need more info - for all we know, this could be subterfuge to raise money for Trump. Need more verifiable information, please," one user asked.

In an interview with Metro, Holman said if no legal action is taken or no one comes forward with the tapes, the money will be donated to the Center for Investigative Reporting.

Patch reached out to Holman, who did not immediately return a request for an interview. As of Tuesday, his campaign had raised close to $26,000.

Photo credit: Gage Skidmore via Flickr Commons